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L.A. County Allows Malls, Nail Salons and Playgrounds to Reopen
Arcadia Weekly Sep 30, 2020
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Los Angeles County officials announced Wednesday that nail salons and malls can reopen indoor operations at limited capacity over the next 10 days. Outdoor playgrounds will also be allowed to reopen.
Indoor shopping malls will be allowed to reopen at 25% occupancy, but food courts and all common areas are to remain closed. Nail salons can reopen for some indoor services at 25% occupancy. Playgrounds can reopen at the discretion of cities and the County Parks and Recreation Department. All parents and children 2 and older must wear face masks, observe physical distancing and refrain from eating or drinking.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health will finalize the dates for each sector’s reopening by Friday.
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors voted to allow breweries and wineries to reopen for outdoor service in accordance with state guidelines mandating that they partner with a third-party permitted food vendor. Public Health says it is “working with County Counsel on exploring the process for reopening breweries and wineries that serve meals.” That process is set to happen over the next few days.
The board also voted to direct Public Health to open the school waiver program for in person instruction for grades TK-2. The program will begin accepting applications in early October for 30 schools per week and prioritize the issuance of waivers to schools with higher percentages of students qualified for free/reduced meals.
Cardrooms can also reopen for outdoor gaming without food and beverages.
County officials refrained from opening various sectors until data from the Labor Day holiday could be analyzed. However, despite these openings, officials warn resident to remain vigilant.
“We have to remember that with every re-opening there is increased risk for COVID-19 transmission. Our cautious approach to re-opening, thus far, has led to slight decreases of daily cases, hospitalizations and deaths, and we will continue to move cautiously so that we can consider safely reopening additional services and businesses in the near future. We will be reviewing waiver applications meticulously so that we can be assured that the schools have the protocols in place that will minimize COVID-19 spread as much as possible,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of Public Health, in a statement Tuesday.
